How to use public Wi-Fi hotspots

Want to get online when you’re out and about? Wi-Fi hotspots are just the ticket.

They're areas with wireless broadband put in by providers, and
allow you to use the internet in various public spaces. Places like
cafes, pubs, and shopping centres in particular like to offer them,
as internet access is something that tends to attract
customers.

You'll also find hotspots in shops, train stations, restaurants,
airports, department stores… all kinds of busy places where there
are a lot of people.

Wi-Fi hotspots are great for when you're out and want to get
some work done, reply to your emails, check the train times, stream
some music, or just send a WhatsApp message or two. It's faster and
more reliable than mobile broadband like 4G, especially
if the hotspot has a fibre optic
connection, and has the added bonus of not eating into your mobile
data allowance.

How do I connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot?

To find a hotspot to connect to, the first thing you'll need to
do is to enable Wi-Fi on your device. It'll give you a list of
available Wi-Fi networks - look for the 'open' ones that let you
connect without a password. They'll usually be from BT, O2, The
Cloud, Virgin Media, or the name of the place you're in
('McDonald's Wi-Fi,' for instance). Select one, and it'll usually
take you to a landing page on your browser, where you can either
sign in or just click to connect. Et voila, you're online.

It doesn't matter if you're using a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or even a handheld
game console - so long as it's Wi-Fi-enabled, you can get online in
public.

Where can I find public Wi-Fi hotspots?

BT Wi-Fi

If you're a BT broadband (www.bt.com) or BT Mobile customer, you're lucky
enough to have free access to BT's various Wi-Fi hotspots around
the country. Everyone else can use them too, though it'll come at a
cost, with allowances ranging from one hour to a whole year's
unlimited usage. And once you've subscribed from one hotspot, you
can carry on connecting from other ones too.

BT Wi-Fi can be found in shopping centres, Hilton hotels,
Starbucks, John Lewis, motorway service stations, and old payphones
that BT have converted. With 5 million of them scattered around,
most of the country is covered.

It also includes access to the Fon network internationally,
which BT is a part of, so you can connect to one of nine million
hotspots worldwide when you're abroad.

O2 Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi hotspots from O2 are,
wonderfully, free for everyone - albeit with a 10GB monthly
download limit if you don't have an O2 phone or mobile broadband.
You'll find them in places like McDonald's, Costa Coffee, Café
Rouge, Debenhams, All Bar One, and various pubs.

O2 mobile customers can also use Wi-Fi from Virgin Media in
London tube stations.

Sky Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi from Sky (www.sky.com), also known as The Cloud, gives Sky broadband
customers free unlimited access. For non-customers, access varies
from venue to venue. Some will just let you connect for free, some
give you a time limit, and some will charge you. Either way, you'll
have unlimited downloads once you're online.

Sky Wi-Fi and The Cloud are found in places including
Wetherspoon pubs, Caffe Nero, Eat, M&S, Pret a Manger, train
stations, and the London Overground.

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